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After every Jon “Bones” Jones or Anderson Silva fight, people are usually left asking themselves the same question: who will be the fighter to finally beat either one of these guys? Silva and Jones are considered two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA, and both look nearly unstoppable. Perhaps the answer to who could beat them is each other. Following Silva’s latest win over Chael Sonnen in one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history, the desire for a Silva-Jones superfight picked up steam. However, don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. For one thing, the two are in two different weight classes. Not to mention, both have said it’s not a fight that either are looking for as Bones explains in this interview. Jon “Bones” Jones joined ESPN Radio Los Angeles with Max and Marcellus to talk about being such a great athlete in a sport like MMA, his wrestling background, if he wants to fight Anderson Silva, whether he thinks he can beat Silva if he fought him and what other fights are on his radar.
On being such a great athlete in a sport like MMA:
“I think it’s safe to say now that I have two brothers that play in the NFL that I’m a high level athlete but that martial arts spirit that I came into it with was like learning everything and not just coming to the game with one style. I did start off as a college wrestler but I didn’t keep it that way. Tae Kwan Do, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Western Boxing and I just took on that complete mixed artist role.”
On his wrestling background:
“Yeah wrestling is by far the most efficient form of self defense that there is. To be able to avoid someone getting you to the ground and to be able to take down an attacker it’s a powerful martial arts style.”
Whether he wants to fight Anderson Silva:
“It’s not that he won’t fight me or I won’t fight him but to be dead honest we both have a lot to lose and we both respect each other a lot and we both are striving for personal greatness. I don’t want to crap on his greatness and I don’t want him crapping on my greatness. We’re in completely different weight classes. (Host: When you say that because of the outcome of a potential fight or the hype building up to the fight?) We both have sponsor deals and things that are really important to us and a big part of that sponsorship package is being a winner, being a champion. Having us fight each other someone’s championship is going to go away. I respect Anderson Silva so much that I don’t want to be the guy to beat him. I don’t want to lose to him either so it’s just like, it’s a lose-lose situation.”
If he thinks he could beat Silva if they fought:
“I’m confident. I’m a confident guy and to be a top level martial artist, confidence is crucial so if that answers your question. I’m sure he thinks he can beat me as well.”
What fights are in his future:
“There’s a few guys on my radar that aren’t necessarily big names but they’re great athletes. Daniel Cormier, he’s the champion of Strikeforce, I mentioned fighting him and he’s an Olympic level wrestler and I think he would give me a great challenge which is why I’m here. There’s this Switzerland kid Alexander Gustafsson who is coming up the ranks pretty fast and I think he is going to give me a nice challenge as well.”
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